Job 22:23

23 Yes, you must humbly return to God and put an end to all the evil that is done in your house.

Job 22:23 Meaning and Commentary

Job 22:23

If thou return to the Almighty
Which supposes a departure from him; and that is by sinning against him, which should be repented of, confessed, and pardoning grace and mercy be implored, by all those that have backslidden, and return to God; to which they are encouraged by his being the "Almighty", who has power to forgive sins, also to cause all grace to abound, and to save to the uttermost; he is not a God that is prayed and returned to, that cannot save, or whose hand is shortened, or his ear heavy; the word is "shaddai", which signifies "[who is] sufficient", all sufficient; whose grace is sufficient to restore and receive backsliders, pardon their sins, accept their persons, supply their wants, and preserve them safe to his kingdom and glory:

thou shalt be built up;
restored to his former happiness, have all his breaches repaired and made up; his body, which was like a building out of repair and dropping down, become hale and healthful; his family, which was in a ruinous condition, being deprived of his children as well as substance, be increasing again through a like number of children; by which means families are built up, ( Ruth 4:16 ) ; and by having a large affluence of good things, abundantly greater than he had before; and also, in a spiritual sense, be edified and built up in his soul, through the light of God's countenance, the discoveries of his love, the comforts of his spirit, an application of precious promises, and divine truths, and a communication of grace, and the blessings of it:

thou shall put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle;
not commit it himself, nor connive at it in others, nor suffer it in his family, suggesting as if he had so done in times past; or remove men of iniquity, wicked men, from his house, and not allow them to dwell there; though rather this seems to be spoken of by way of promise, and as an encouragement to return to the Almighty; upon which all evils and calamities, the effects of sin and iniquity, should be removed from his house, and the apartments of it, they were now full of.

Job 22:23 In-Context

21 Now, Job, make peace with God and stop treating him like an enemy; if you do, then he will bless you.
22 Accept the teaching he gives; keep his words in your heart.
23 Yes, you must humbly return to God and put an end to all the evil that is done in your house.
24 Throw away your gold; dump your finest gold in the dry stream bed.
25 Let Almighty God be your gold, and let him be silver, piled high for you.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [One ancient translation] humbly; [Hebrew] be built up.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.